Mounds View junior defender Amelia Gregory doesn't score goals. Not really in the job description.
She didn't have a goal in three years of varsity soccer. She doesn't have a conscience, either.
"I feel like I can stay calm in a game when it comes to pressure," Gregory said.
Never was there a more tense moment than penalty kicks in overtime Tuesday to decide the Class 3A state tournament quarterfinal against top-seeded and undefeated Wayzata. And Gregory delivered. Her shootout goal decided a 3-2 upset victory at Kuhlman Stadium in Edina.
Mounds View (14-4-1), ranked No. 10 in the final coaches poll, could have trailed by a couple of goals early. But goalkeeper Lauren McAlpine stopped a penalty kick and moments later a point-blank shot. The Mustangs led 1-0 at halftime on Yasmeen Abed's goal. But Wayzata (17-1-1) battled back to take a 2-1 advantage on goals from Amya Conway and Lily Nayar.
"We did enough in regulation to win the game," Trojans coach Tony Pesznecker said. "But once you go to a shootout, you're throwing darts at the big dart board."
Neither team scored on their first four attempts in the overtime shootout. Then Celine Klum put Mounds View ahead until the next shooter, Wayzata's El Novak, drew her team even.
Gregory, the Mustangs' sixth shooter, hit the bull's-eye with her dart.
"I kind of blanked out, to be honest," Gregory said. "I just focused on looking at the ball and not looking at the goal or anything."
DAVID La VAQUE
Stillwater 1, Lakeville South 0: Freshman forward Rylee Lawrence scored in the 57th minute, giving the third-ranked Ponies (17-2) a victory over the Cougars (10-6-2) at White Bear Lake.
Class 2A
Holy Angels 5, Zimmerman 0: The Stars got a goal from senior midfielder Madden Smith in the opening minutes at White Bear Lake and built a 3-0 halftime lead against the Thunder (14-5-1) behind three different scorers. Freshman midfielder Ellen Neuharth added two second-half goals for the Stars (18-2-0), both assisted by Elizabeth Mejia Quintanilla.
Class 1A
Breck 3, Rochester Lourdes 0: Junior forward Maggie Mixon scored two first-half goals 35 seconds apart, leading the fourth-ranked Mustangs (11-6-1) past the seventh-ranked Eagles (12-5-1) at Eden Prairie.
